Although microorganisms are intrinsically capable of biosynthesizing a wide range of useful chemicals (i.e. metabolites), they typically do so at concentrations and rates that do not correspond to those required for commercial production. A complex network of regulatory, enzymatic, and transport processes determines which metabolite is synthesized (and at what level) under a given environmental condition. The successful manipulation of cellular metabolism requires an understanding of these biological processes.

Gonzalez's lab uses functional genomics and system biology tools in the service of both pathway discovery and metabolic engineering.

Contributions from all of the lab's research projects are two-fold. First, from a fundamental standpoint, the work contributes to the improved understanding of the biological processes under study. Second, from an applied standpoint, the research uses gained knowledge to design and implement strategies for the production of a desired chemical.

Gonzalez's lab is addressing several exciting and challenging issues in microbial catalysis, including the understanding and manipulation of vitamins and cofactors biosynthesis, the anaerobic fermentation of non-traditional carbon sources, the simultaneous metabolism of sugars in sugar mixtures, and understanding and modifying respiratory and fermentative systems for the synthesis of oxidized and reduced products.

Specific research areas include metabolic engineering, functional genomics, systems biology, molecular modeling and microbial fermentation technology. The lab uses a wide spectrum of approaches and state-of-the-art techniques that are typically employed in a range of scientific and engineering disciplines, including chemical engineering, biochemistry and molecular biology.